


Thief

by floriwatch



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Gen, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M, Pre-Time Skip, Rough Sex, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28936005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floriwatch/pseuds/floriwatch
Summary: The crew found you washed out to sea, on the brink of death.It was apparent to Zoro that you were just another weird occurrence in the series of weird occurrences on the Grandline. But the longer you stuck around, the more he realized you were something different all together.As a thief, you never stole a thing from him, but you wound up with all of him anyway.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	Thief

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before Thriller Bark.

They fished you out of that tiny raft at dawn. You had been half dead, curled up in a ball on the floor of that dingy while it drifted aimlessly in the ocean. The crew had watched with bated breath as Franky and Ussop pulled you into the Soldier Dock System and Chopper, for once, needed no prompting to set work on you. After nearly six hours of intensive surgery in their tiny, underequipped infirmary, Chopper informed the crew that you, the mysterious stranger from the raft, would make a full recovery.

Zoro paid no mind to these events. He was curious, but disinterested. If you were worth paying attention to, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself beaten up so bad. Maybe if you had a good explanation when you woke up, he’d reconsider. But for now, he had his training to focus on.

Two days later, you awoke. Weak, disoriented, but alive. Chopper was practically glued to you after that. He was a cyclone of worry and fret, but that only caused you to chuckle in spite of your pain. 

For the next week you were bedridden, but often visited by the curious crew of the Strawhat pirates. From what Zoro had heard, you were friendly enough and Luffy liked you enough that you staying on the ship until you recovered seemed like a given. It was a week or two out from the next island anyway, if you didn’t want to stay with them you could get off there and go to a real hospital.

Zoro couldn’t really care less. Just another weird occurrence that could happen out here on the Grandline. 

When you had been allowed to finally leave the infirmary was when you had genuinely caught Zoro’s eye. You were covered in bandages head to toe and took small, calculated steps, obviously still in a lot of pain, as you dragged yourself over to the side of the ship opposite him and sat back against the railing. Zoro watched you carefully from his own spot, attempting to gauge what kind of person you were. 

Your movements up until this point had been silent, and the rest of the crew seemed to like you. Chopper said that you’d be able to join them for group meals soon if you wanted, which everyone seemed fairly excited about. But Zoro had yet to talk to you. In the few times you’d been in the vicinity of one another, the two of you had retained a respectful distance. Never talking to one another. He found it odd at first, but he couldn’t find a way to break the silence. Maybe you found him intimidating? 

As you fell asleep in the cool ocean breeze, he decided that likely wasn’t the case. Here he was, only the width of the Sunny away from you and yet you were so at peace that you let your guard down. Maybe there was something else going on that he didn’t realize.

Yeah. That was probably it.

-

“I’m a thief.” It was dinnertime on a particularly warm evening and that was the first thing he’d ever heard you say. The crew reacted in various levels of shock, with him and Nami being the most calm. They had both had their suspicions, but Nami had kept them to herself rather than asking you and Zoro had yet to even utter a word in your direction.

You picked up a leather bag, something you’d kept close since you woke, and opened it, revealing a hefty amount of treasure. 

“I got caught by a pretty talented swordsman on the last ship I stole from and barely escaped.” Zoro perked up at the mention of a swordsman. “Who knows how long I was floating around like that.” With that, you tossed the bag to Nami. She practically shrieked in delight.

“You’re just giving it to us? Are you sure?” Even Luffy was seemingly astonished, despite the finger half way up his nose. You shrugged, face blank.

“It’s not part of my MO to be sloppy like that. It wouldn’t be the honorable thing to keep it.” Zoro could respect that. “Consider it payment for taking care of me and letting me stay with you guys.”

“Awww, you don’t have to-“ Nami slammed her hand over her captain’s mouth.

“This will be more than enough for our services! Thank you!” Nami stood and made a dash for the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me...” She made her leave with Beri signs in her eyes and leger calculations on her mind. You shrugged again and went back to eating and Zoro kept a close eye on you for the rest of the meal. 

Aside from some lighthearted chatter with the others, you remained quiet and turned down any chances to share any of your experiences on the Grandline. You had said you were too tired, and while the smarter of the crew, namely Robin and Franky, could tell that was a lie, they let it drop. You’d probably be more talkative once more of your bandages came off. 

After dinner, Zoro decided to take a nap in his usual spot and found you dozing off as well, this time on the same side of the ship as him. He paid it no mind and settled down several feet away. Maybe he’d ask you your name tomorrow.

-

Several nights later, you sought Zoro out on the deck in his usual spot. The sky was overcast, but well-lit and it was very late. Maybe around 1. Zoro had never slept well at night, not since Kuina, and maybe you were similar.

“Swordsman.” The two of you never did exchange names. Zoro grunted in response. “I’ve a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?” He was eyeing you closely. You had had another chunk of your bandages removed and Chopper had cleared you for light physical activity the day prior, but you had still slept through most of it. Now, though, there was a fire in your eyes. A determination he’d not seen in you since he met you. Was this what you were truly like?

“Spar with me.” You crouched before him, your brows furrowed. Weren’t you still in pain?

“No.” You glared at him further, growing even more intense. “Why?” He grunted as he sat up further.

“As a thief, I run into many obstacles in my line of work. Guns, hand to hand combat, and even traps are easy for me. It’s swords that I need work on combating. Your captain told me that you are extremely skilled, and so I need your help.”

Zoro thought about it for a moment, staring long and hard at you before him. He then stood up.

“No,” began walking away, making his way to the kitchen. “Sneaking around and stealing people’s things in the dead of night is for lowlifes.” He probably shouldn’t be talking as a pirate but… “If you want something, you should face it head on and take it that way.” 

Something whistled past his ear and embedded itself in the door in front of him. A dagger. Where did you get that?

“If you want to get in a bout over honor, we can do that after you beat me in a fistfight. Though, I doubt you could with your swords shoved so far up your ass.” Enraged, Zoro turned to face you. Your determination still burned brightly in your eyes along with something else.

A challenge.

“Fine.” He pulled his arms up and began to stretch. “If I win, you leave me the fuck alone.”

“I’ll do you one better. If you win, I’ll leave you alone, and I’ll steal a bottle of the good sake Sanji keeps under lock and key.” You began stretching as well. “And if I win, you train me here, on the deck, every night until I can dodge every move of yours effortlessly.” 

A smirk formed across Zoro’s face. You weren’t nearly as muscular or strong looking as he was, and fistfights typically came down to who was in better shape. Soon he’d have a nice drink and he could enjoy his naps in peace without you nearby to bother him.

“Deal.” Without hesitation, he threw the first punch. Looking back, he’d realize that it was over before it started. You had set the terms of the fight after all, and you never fought a fight you knew you couldn’t win.

-

Two nights later started your first official training session. Chopper had, of course, noticed the bruise you had retained from the singular punch Zoro managed to land on you and confined you to the infirmary for the day. Zoro had also gotten an earful and was assigned extra watch duty that night. The only saving grace was that at least it was Robin that had had watch the night before, meaning she had been the only one to witness Zoro’s absolute failure at besting you. She had the common decency to not tell the rest of the crew just how pathetically he did, but that didn't mean she wouldn’t tease him at all. 

Two nights later and Robin was still shooting him knowing looks and teasing glances. But that didn’t matter now. A deal was a deal and Zoro would honor it. You’d gotten Chopper’s blessing that morning with the promise that you’d stop and rest if you started feeling unwell. Franky, who was on watch duty that night, was also to peak down every once in a while to make sure all was well too.

Zoro felt like he should be insulted at his crew’s lack of trust, but, well, whatever. 

Most of your bandages were off now, and Zoro could tell you were feeling better subtly in the way you moved. He started with one sword, trying to gauge what you could do. You held no weapons, but he got the notion that your idea of combat wasn’t to overpower him, but to dodge and counter until you found an opening. Not a style he was personally interested in, but it kicked his ass two nights ago, so he decided not to comment. 

The moon was thin in the sky, not a star visible as you began your assault. Zoro glittered and shone in the pale moonlight as he parried you false swipes and attempted to make contact with your skin. An elegance unbeholden to most men, let alone pirates, was your improvised dance, but what Zoro lacked in grace, he made up for in reach. Fairly soon he struck you in what would have been a kill point were he using the sharp end of his blade. With a sharp sigh of disappointment, you accepted your defeat.

It seemed the reach his swords afforded him were one of your weaknesses. As he contemplated ways to combat this, Zoro realized that maybe he was taking this a little more seriously than he thought he would. He paid that no mind. You were his student, after all. He should be taking it seriously. One thing bothered him, however.

“You use daggers, right?” You snapped to attention, having grown weary of him staring at you and saying nothing for quite a time.

“Yes, I do.” 

“Why didn’t you use them?” You shrugged and Zoro scoffed, irritated.

“I may always have a dagger on me, but I rarely have time to pull one out in a fight.” Zoro’s brows scrunched in frustration.

“You need to learn how to draw your weapon in the heat of the moment and use the power of that draw in your attacks.” Zoro nudged you aside and sheathed his sword. He then placed an empty bottle of sake on a table and turned to face you.”Watch.” With a practiced swipe of his arm, his sword was unsheathed and the bottle sliced cleanly in two. He then resheathed his sword and caught the falling bottle top before it hit the ground. 

“I see.” Your eyebrows raised, clearly impressed. Then you did something that Zoro didn’t see coming a thousand miles away. You smiled. It seemed extremely genuine, as if Zoro had done for you something incredibly kind. “I suppose I have a lot to learn then.” 

Zoro noisily swallowed, a palpable nervousness growing in the pit of his stomach. For what reason, he couldn’t be sure. But he did know that that smile was dangerous. There was a mischievousness behind that twinkle in your eye that he’d only seen in cats that have decided to toy with their prey before killing it. Whatever he had gotten himself into, somehow he knew he would regret it. 

-

A few nights later and you were already making remarkable progress. You could draw your daggers from your hiding places mid battle and parry Zoro’s katana with little difficulty. Maybe by next week, Zoro could move up to two swords if your footwork improved a bit more. Just as he suspected the first night of your training, the moment you were given the opportunity, you began toying with him. You’d do needlessly complicated maneuvers to disorient him. You’d make teasing remarks about less than stellar moves he’d make. (“Really, Zoro? Just a downward slash? I expected more from the world’s greatest swordsman.”) 

You even began showing up for you training using the “mastery of stealth” you used for your craft. You’d scared the shit out of him multiple times and had almost been cut in half twice, much to your amusement and Zoro’s befuddlement. 

“It’s like you want to be cut in half!” He’d said the third time you startled him. You hummed in response.

“That might not be such a bad way to go if it’s you.” He gave up pretty quickly trying to figure out what anything you said meant. According to Robin, you were pretty good at dodging questions you didn’t want to answer and you rarely wanted to talk about your past.

Still, there were a few things he was able to figure out just by watching you throughout the day. 

You were a devil fruit user, that’s for sure. Luffy, Ussop, and Chopper had gotten too rowdy one day and you, not being used to their antics, had been knocked overboard. Sanji jumped in to save you after you didn’t float to the surface like you should have. Everyone had guessed that you had a devil fruit then and there, but you seemed reluctant to talk about it. Your simple mention of “ghosts” was enough to get your primary pressurers, Luffy and Ussop, to drop it. 

The others were growing more used to your boundaries and rarely tried to force you to talk. But while they were growing more patient, you were opening up. The other day Zoro had caught you telling a number of the crew of a heist you ran on some island called Dressrosa in the New World. It received many “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” from your listeners and you practically glowed in the attention. You may operate well alone, but Zoro could tell you were a people’s person when you put your heart out there. 

“Zoro.” You caught him at sundown, just after his midday workout routine. 

“Yeah, (Y/n)?” Maybe he had finally gotten around to learning your name. Whatever. It was the polite thing to do when you’re indefinitely living with someone.

“Nami said we’re about three days out from the next island.” Zoro nodded in understanding. Well, if you were going to leave, now would be a goo- “I asked Luffy if I could stay on for a little while longer, considering I’m still your student and all. Hope that’s okay.” Unsure of how to respond, Zoro just nodded. “Good, see you tonight.” 

There was that grin again, you had it on you as you turned to leave. He didn’t like it, but he didn’t have time to think about it further. If the Sunny was docking at a dangerous island, then it would be better to prepare. He’d have to restructure your training schedule and go harder on you than before. A group is only as strong as its weakest link, and he’d be damned if his “student” was that. 

-

The night before you landed on the island was the first time the two of you talked. Genuinely talked. It started with you flinching and dropping your dagger in the midst of a basic drill. You insisted that you felt fine, but Zoro had noticed you acting weird all day. The entire crew had.

“I should be fine once we get to the island tomorrow.” You had brushed off everyone’s concern with the same line. “It’s just been awhile and I’m not used to traveling on these types of boats for long, y’know?” Most had bought it, or at least let it be. But now that it was affecting your training, Zoro knew he had to step in.

“What’s wrong?” Zoro knelt down next to where you had stubbornly laid down on your back when you realized that this minor slip up had cost you any privacy you might have had. There was a short pause while you deliberated your options. 

“Ghosts,” you waved an arm up above you, as if to gesture to something. Zoro sheathed his sword and properly sat down. 

“Ghosts?” He didn’t really believe in ghosts, but this was the Grandline and he has seen crazier.

“Yeah, ghosts.” You heaved out a dramatic sigh and sat up. “A few years ago, I ate a devil fruit that lets me see ghosts. The downsides, of course, are that I lost my ability to swim and now I attract spirits to me. I can’t stay in one place too long, or they start messing shit up. And now they’ve begun to gather here.” You sounded so bitter, so angry. As if this one thing was the biggest mistake of your entire life.

“Why’d you eat the damn fruit in the first place?” It was the only thing Zoro could think of saying.

“Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it.” You cut off, staring bitterly down at your lap. Zoro nodded. He could understand that and wouldn’t push. “These ghosts are so annoying. They get in the way and mess everything up, but I’m just not good at controlling them. Sometimes I get lucky and they leave when I tell them to, but most of the time they just lash out. I wish I was better at it.” 

So this was a matter of you being unskilled at controlling your devil fruit power. Unlike sword fighting, he had no experience in this field and couldn’t offer any good advice. Still, he felt like he had to level with you somehow. 

“I… have a hard time with directions… Or so I’m told.” Zoro spitballed from nowhere. You looked up at him, at first surprised and then bemused. You then practically scrambled to sit crossed legged in front of him, your knees barely brushing his. You leaned forward, your signature smile showing for the first time that night.

“Oh? Tell me about that.” You chuckled. He somewhat regretted bringing it up, but you were invested now and probably wouldn’t let it drop.

“Sometimes, when I’m in places I’m not familiar with, I can get a little turned around.” Confessing this was a struggle and he was glad that the cook wasn’t there to hear it. He’d receive hell for weeks if he was. 

“How so?” You continued to egg him on, trying to get him to continue explaining. Eventually the conversation turned into a story about an island he’d been on before he met Luffy, which eventually led to you telling him more of your experiences.

By the time the sun rose, the two of you were guffawing loudly, drunk on exhaustion and the opportunity to be a bit more open than usual. The two of you wound up skipping breakfast and most of the approach to the new island in favor of a nap in the sun. This time, though, you rested a little closer together. 

-

Zoro had been right in assuming this island was going to be dangerous. The crew had immediately split up upon arrival, and rather than his friends, Zoro soon found himself in the company of bounty hunters and thugs in a part of some city he didn’t know. You and Ussop had been with him just a couple hours earlier, but he got distracted and hadn’t seen you since. 

Whatever. These bounty hunters were smallfry anyway. Only their boss seemed like an actual threat and Zoro was having a fun time kicking his ass through the streets. The guy was tough and had a special move that would have been pretty devastating should it land, and it was during one of these attacks that Zoro almost fucked up royally. 

He forgot about the boss’s minions, who had been watching the fight from the sidelines since their boss showed up. Apparently, one such minion had finally snapped out of his stupor while Zoro was countering his boss and lunged forward, sword in hand and directly aimed at Zoro’s back. Zoro hadn’t seen it coming until it was too late and he braced for the blade to pierce his heart and end him right there. But he hadn’t counted on one thing.

You.

You, at the last second, dropped from the sky (later you told him it was from a roof) and dug your heel into the man’s face, pummeling him to the ground. So shocked was the boss by your sudden appearance that Zoro was able to find an opening and take the man down. With there boss out of the picture, the rest of the minions scurried off.

Zoro turned around and sheathed his sword. There you stood, arms crossed and a look on your face that was somewhere between smug and pissed.

“A wound to the back, Zoro?” You glared at him, your voice low. “Where’s your honor as a swordsman?”

“I-” Zoro had no words to say. He felt like he should argue, but couldn’t. Something about the look you gave him made him feel like he’d messed up worse than he had. You heaved out a sigh and walked up to him, grasping his shoulder with a half smile.

“I have your back, but try not to get fatally stabbed, ok?” There was no coyness in your voice, no malice. You weren’t angry. The only thing he could read on you in that moment was genuine care. The same burning sensation he felt in his stomach the first time you smiled at him cropped up again, this time much more intense than before. What does that mean?

“C’mon,” You let go of his shoulder and began walking away. “Ussop ran into Chopper and they need help carrying supplies. They’re this way.” 

“Yeah, sure.” He nodded dumbly and jogged to catch up with you. The two of you helped with the supplies without incident and the two of you continued your training as usual. A week later, the Sunny was ready to set sail. You didn’t mention your ghost problem and seem pretty eager to leave, so Zoro figured the problem was solved for now. 

-

A week back out at sea and things were getting… intense. Not that anything happened that was too out of the ordinary during the day. The occasional sea king attack or some douchey pirate coming in and trying to fight them happened every once in a while, but those were normal occurrences. 

It was your training that was intensifying. 

You were working and fighting much harder than before, and Zoro was pushing you further and further because of it. He’d moved up to using three swords the previous night, and though you had struggled at first, now you were dodging hits and dealing blows expertly. 

But there was something off about this. Your face didn’t carry the same concentration and ease that he’d gotten used to over the past month or so of training you. Something had replaced it. Something desperate. Something carnal. The wild look you had in your eyes and savage blows you were dealing were not that of someone sparring, but that of someone who was fighting for their life. 

The idea of you feeling so stressed honestly worried Zoro, but he decided to let you train your frustrations out. That is, until you actually landed a blow that almost took his eye out. He immediately disarmed you and pinned you to the wall behind you. 

“What is your problem?” He was pissed. You’d been acting weird for the past two weeks, since you saved him from those bounty hunters. You avoided him during the day and rarely took naps near him anymore. He’d normally brush it off as you exercising your boundaries, but meanwhile you’d been getting even more buddy buddy with the rest of the crew. He was jealous. Extremely so. This entire time you were trying to build a wall between the two of you, the only thing he wanted was to grow closer. 

“I’m sorry.” You hung your head low, avoiding his eyes. Was Zoro imagining it or was your face really red? The moon was really bright tonight, so it was doubtful he was suddenly going blind. You recovered halfway from your sudden shyness and looked up at him with a half hearted smirk. Was that heartbeat Zoro was hearing his, or yours? “Didn’t mean to get so rough with you, Zoro. Maybe next time I should…”

Your words died on your tongue as you stared down at his lips, eyes glazed over and slightly dilated. Zoro still had you pinned to the wall and you were so close. Zoro’s gaze dropped downwards as well to your own lips, and back up where he made eye contact with you. There was a quiet question and a breathless answer and then suddenly the two of you were on each other in a desperate flurry. 

As far as tongue and teeth were concerned, Zoro was by far the more domineering one. Something you gave into rather quickly as he delved into your mouth and desperately nipped and sucked at your lips. You took control in your own way, however, and ground against him with an intensity that forced a deep moan out of both of you. His hips stuttered as you slipped a hand into his pants and the two of you knew that it was all over right then. 

He dragged you to the ground and pinned you under him, your legs wrapping around his waist for leverage. He attempted to take off your shirt carefully, but wound up ripping it in the process. He felt a little remorse for the poor soul who had lent it to you and prayed that it wasn’t him before discarding it completely. Meanwhile, you’d done your best to rile him up further by feeling him up as best you could and grinding into him with a fervor. 

Soon, Zoro struggled to even think straight, sweat dripping down his body and his breathing labored. You weren’t doing much better, clearly enjoying riling him up far more than you should. Eventually, Zoro couldn’t take it anymore and did the needed preparations to properly fuck you and took out his dick. He’d always pictured himself on top, regardless of his partner, and you had no complaints outside of a few playful ones. 

Zoro lined up and slowly pushed in, careful to gauge your reactions. You had no lube, so you had to make do with the limited fluids your bodies naturally produced as well as some liquid you had had on hand. It wasn’t quite good enough, and the burn of him going in caused your face to scrunch in discomfort. Once he was finally deep seated in you, however, the lust and adrenaline soon won out over the pain and you gave him permission to move. 

He immediately pounded into you with a brutal pace. He leaned down as his hips snapped in and out and pulled you into a sloppy kiss, only stopping to tongue and bite at your neck and chest as you grasped tightly at his shoulders and yanked harshly at his hair.

Soon, the build up was too much and Zoro spilled over, barely pulling out in time before cumming hard. You soon followed, and Zoro collapsed next to you once he was sure you were okay and coming down. The two of you laid there next to each other, half cuddling, half terrified that this was some sort of mistake. 

“Hey,” you were still slightly breathless, your face flushed. Zoro’s heart flipped. Was this the part where you made a half hearted joke and never talked about it again? Well. No. Turns out you were full of surprises. As he turned to look at you, you reached over, grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him into a deep kiss. It was sloppy, filled with the remaining pent up lust between you as well as something else that Zoro wasn’t ready to name yet. 

The both of you laid on the deck for a little while longer, making lazy bad jokes that didn’t go anywhere and just enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t until Zoro shifted and felt his cum literally drying his dick to his pants that the two of you decided it’d be best for you to get up. Condoms were definitely something that needed to be invested in should you continue this arrangement. But for now, a shower was definitely in order. Zoro wondered for a moment if he should let you go first before you invited him up with you. 

Round 2 in the bath?

With you?

How could he refuse?

-

Two weeks at sea flew by after that. The two of you continued to conduct business as usual during the day, and then at night you’d train and spar until you fell together. Though you both had agreed that it wasn’t the best idea to inform the crew of your”arrangement,” especially since you had yet to define it, Zoro had a vague idea that a few of them might have already caught on. 

Franky definitely knew, what with the way he not so subtly left a box of condoms and a pocket sized bottle of lube on Zoro’s pillow the morning after and tossed him a thumbs up and knowing wink everytime Zoro made eye contact with him for the next five hours. Franky must have been on watch that night and seen you. Zoro didn’t want to think too much about that though. Robin also seems to have figured something out as well. The knowing looks she sends Zoro everytime she sees you and him together are enough to make Zoro break out in a nervous sweat. The rest of the crew didn’t seem to notice or care and Zoro was happy with that.

That night, two weeks after you initially had sex is when it happens. 

The two of you had just finished cleaning up after a particularly intense session against the railing on a discreet part of the deck out of view of the crow’s nest. It was Luffy’s turn for watch and Zoro wasn’t about to risk his obnoxious captain waking up the entire ship over some misunderstanding. 

Now the two of you sat in Zoro’s usual spot, his arm slung over your shoulder and you leaning into him. You were freshly clean and Zoro was enjoying the scent of your hair mixing in with the open ocean breeze when you hummed mournfully.

“I think it’s about time I go, huh?” You said it mostly to yourself, burying your face further into the crook of Zoro’s neck. He frowned, knowing where this was going and not liking it. 

“You think so?” He didn’t want to talk about this, but there wasn’t any avoiding it and he was the type to face his problems head on. 

“Yeah.” You nodded into his neck and clung to him tightly. The ghosts that you attracted were getting worse. Things were breaking more often without explanation. Important items were moving when the crew wasn’t looking. And this morning Nami fell down the stairs and said that it felt like someone pushed her, despite none of the crew being anywhere near her. 

Zoro still didn’t really believe in ghosts, but whatever these things were, they weren’t friendly. 

And so it was time for you to go, there was no guarantee that island hopping with them would get rid of all of the spirits every time. Especially since there was no guarantee that they could stay long enough on every island to be safe. You and Franky had finished up working on the raft, it had been yours apparently, and you’d take it out to a nearby island not on the log pose once you announced your departure. It would be sudden for everyone except Zoro, who had seen it coming, but it’d still probably hurt him the most. 

But it really couldn’t be helped, could it?

The two of you slept on the deck together until Sanji woke you two for breakfast. After the meal, you announced your departure and quickly set to work gathering the few things you had of your own. By the time you were ready, the crew had gathered up by your raft in the Soldier Dock System to say their goodbyes. Lots of hugs and “see you again”’s were exchanged, including an incredibly suffocating squeeze from the captain himself, and soon the only one left was Zoro.

You could tell that he was trying to look indifferent to the whole thing, as if you hadn’t been closer to you than he had been to anyone in years. He remained stubborn, even as you forced a side hug on him and left without a word.

He watched as you started the engine, specially modified to run silently as to not alert anyone of your approach, and waved goodbye as you left. He stood and watched as your small boat disappeared over the horizon before finally looking around and realizing he was now alone. The crew had gone off to do their own thing and Zoro should do the same. It’s not like moping around would make you come back. 

And so Zoro slowly made his way up onto the upper deck, finding a secluded corner that the two of you frequented together and sat down for a nap. Just as he was about to drift off, he felt something lightly brush against his cheek. His eyes fluttered open, lacking the energy to spring into action, and there you were, smiling down at him with that smile of yours. His eyes widened in shock as you laughed quietly.

“Sorry,” Zoro’s stomach was full of butterflies. He couldn’t move. “I couldn’t let that be it for us.” Zoro lurched forward, still unable to form a coherent sentence. “What? You gonna keep staring at me or are you gonna let your actions speak for you?” 

Zoro immediately picked up what you were implying and leaned in. You met him halfway and kissed him like this was the end all be all. Eventually, you had to pull away, standing up as you did so. 

“Don’t forget me, Zoro.” You smiled down at him. As if he could ever forget how that face makes him feel. “I’ll be seeing you around. Lots of people to steal from in the New World, y’know?” 

“Yeah, I look forward to it.” Zoro finally broke out of his stupor and offered you an easy, lovesick smile. You bent down and pressed one last kiss to the top of his head. With that, you stood, shot him one last look, and vaulted over the side of the ship. Zoro scrambled to his feet just in time to watch you land gracefully in your raft and take off without looking back. 

He watched you for a while, a soft smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to see you again. 

Once you were once again over the horizon, Zoro turned around, deciding to get a drink while the morning was still young, only to find Robin waiting there. Smiling forlornly at her friend. She had, apparently, seen the whole thing. 

“Don’t you dare tell anyone about this!” Zoro half threatened, half pleaded. Robin chuckled and nodded.

“Our little secret.”

**Author's Note:**

> I might continue this once I get a bit further into the time skip. Zoro isn't my absolute favorite or anything, but he was fun to try to write. He's emotionally constipated at best and that makes me happy.


End file.
